Set Me Free
by LisaMarie
Summary: Following Season 1 finale 'Destiny' The royal four are dealing with the knowledge and Michael and Isabel turn to one another for comfort. This leads to more trouble for the others. Meanwhile, Liz is in New York and hasn't contacted anyone in Roswell
1. Chapter One

A/N: This really is a general fic, no solid couples at the moment. All characters belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims and all that fun stuff. Please review!

Isabel glanced at Michael again studying his face for any sort of hint as to what he could be thinking. What they'd heard in the cave that day had come as a shock to them all, Tess being the only possible exception. Max had had the most immediate reaction of course, but that was to be expected. That was Max. And now, more than ever, Isabel truly understood. That night they'd learned more than she'd ever really hoped they would and, truth be told, more than she may have ever really wanted to. This was not to say that Isabel wasn't happy to see and hear her mother, on the contrary, she was still elated over that, it was just all the talk of their "destiny" that was hitting her almost painfully hard. Max was her brother, no real change there, and he was the leader of their people, again not a big surprise. Also not surprising was Michael's role as his second-in-command...but he wasn't her brother. She glanced at him again, still unable to glean even the slightest hint of what he could be thinking. Michael had always been harder for her to read than Max and now, with what they'd learned, she felt as if she'd never known him at all. Unlike Max, Michael had turned out to be very much not her brother....but the man she herself was destined to have a family with. But then again, this same decree named Tess as Max's young bride. And it was because of that knowledge that Liz had taken off.

It wasn't as if Isabel and Liz were ever really friends, or even that she'd ever been happy about the whole Max/Liz thing, but now that she'd taken off, rejecting the brother Isabel so dearly loved...well it made things a little different. But only a little. When Izzy had first learned of her new friend Tess's crush on her brother, she'd laughed it off. Liz and Max, despite their differences in species actually were a great couple and it was obvious how happy she made him. It was only once Isabel herself had entered into her own cross-species relationship with Liz's friend Alex that she could begin to understand the bond which Max and Liz shared. She had been the last to find someone, which was actually kind of funny when she took the time the think about it. She could easily be considered to be one of West Roswell High's most popular students, a role she'd always taken seriously and been proud of. Funnier still was the fact that Alex's popularity was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from her own. But he was funny and, more importantly; he made her feel like someone cared. While she had been glad that both of her ''brothers" had found people they could trust their hearts let it had made her feel more than just a little overlooked.

Tess was convinced that none of them had any choice but to follow their destiny, she'd known about her fate with Max before then. But Max loved Liz. Not in that cheesy teen drama sort of way that most high school kids claimed to love, but as an actual real soulmate thing. It was something none of the rest of them could even hope to understand, not Michael and Maria, not herself and Alex. She cared deeply about Alex but wasn't foolish enough to call it love. She'd felt romantic love only a very few times and she had been asleep. As much as she tried to forget the dreams about her and Michael they still managed to creep into her thoughts. Maybe that's why she wasn't totally shocked to learn about the roles they were to play in each others future. Not that they were going to give in to what they'd learned, which is what Tess was convinced they had to. Max was not about to just roll over and give in, even with Liz's attempt to force him to, so why should she and Michael? But Isabel couldn't help but think that maybe that wouldn't seem so bad. This time when she glanced at him he turned to meet her gaze.

"Why don't you just ask me about whatever it is you're trying to figure out instead of just looking at me?" Michael noted, that mocking smile which seemed to be his signature playing across his lips.

Isabel was slightly startled when he addressed her, causing her to flounder a bit with her words. "Oh I just...was thinking is all." She shook her head, putting on the nonchalant facade she'd perfected so well. "Don't worry about it."

"We've always been able to talk about everything Iz, even uncomfortable subjects."

"I know." She sighed, biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw a bit of blood.

Michael looked at her, studying her face. "The only time you ever clam up like this is when you think that saying what's on your mind would somehow betray Max."

Was that true? Was the real issue holding her back the fact that she thought embracing her destiny when Max was so against it would be a betrayal? Isabel furrowed her brow, deep in thought about the point Michael had just brought up. "He's so sad, Michael. I don't know how I can even begin to think about myself when he feels like his life is over?"

"If you shut down every time Max is upset then you'll never live your own life." He pointed out. "But maybe you never have." Before she could catch herself, Isabel nodded. "And maybe I never have either." He added. "Maybe all you and I have ever really done is...Live for him."

Isabel took in a shaky breath. ''In which case, we've always been living out part of our destiny...serving our King."

"And Max has always acted the role of the leader."

"But now that they are telling him he has to, he's resisting." Isabel supplied.

"And I think it's only because he feels like it has to be all or nothing."

"And all would mean losing Liz."

Michael nodded. "And Liz taking off can only have cemented his logic further."

"Maybe I'm just naïve, but I can't help but believe we have a choice in matters. Yes, we appear to be clones of some sort, and because of that we are of the royal bloodline of our people which would Make Max the heir to the throne." Isabel surmised. "So in that sense, yes, Max is destined to rule, but I don't believe they were able to program us to love certain people. That's not something genetic."

Michael nodded, deep in thought. "Meaning you think all that stuff about you and I is bogus."

"Don't you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know what to think more." He stood up. "I'm gonna go."

"Oh, um, O.K." Isabel didn't want to be alone but maybe it was best to have time to think before she and Michael had that conversation. "Yeah I'll see you around."

"I'll be by again tomorrow." He said before climbing out the window.

She watched him go and then picked up the phone. She didn't want to be alone but wasn't sure who to turn to. Maria and Liz were definitely out, as was Max for obvious reasons. This left Alex and Tess. So what kind of interaction would she benefit from the most: Witty laid-back humor with slight romantic undertones or somewhat angst filled chatter about their destiny? Neither was all that ideal. She dialed carefully, waiting for the person on the other end to answer. "Tess? It's Isabel. You busy?"

"You didn't invite me over just to watch a crappy Keanu Reeves movie." Tess quipped. She waved her hand towards the TV, turning it off. "You're thinking about what we learned." It wasn't a question.

"You believe all of it, don't you?"

"Believe what? Isabel, there's nothing to think about! It's what we exist for!"

"How do you know?" Isabel shot back.

"Because we were told."

"What exactly were we told? That we were sent here, Max is our leader blah, blah, blah. And you were sent because you _were_ Max's bride. You were sent as a gift for Max. No one said he had to love you. Plus, who's to say you even love him? Like, okay. I understand that my brother can be found attractive but you hardly know him."

"Of course I know him! He is my destiny!"

"Then why does he love Liz?"

"He doesn't, he's just confused."

"If anyone's confused it's you, Tess."

Tess was about to make her own biting response but forced it back. "Isabel, why don't you stop attacking me and just admit that your thinking more about your issues with what you heard about you and Michael than you are Max and I."

''I never said that. God, why would you even-?"

"Because I know you, too. Isabel, you and I hit it off as friends instantly. We have a ton in common. I'm not saying you aren't concerned for your brother, I just think you're arguing with me in order to convince yourself about Michael...but Isabel? The tension between you and Michael is pretty blatant."

"What tension? Until those dreams started I saw Michael as a brother."

Tess rolled her eyes. "You can lie to yourself all you want but I don't buy it. Maybe you did when you were young but I think that changed when he hooked up with Maria."

"I have a boyfriend."

"And Alex is sweet but he's not one of us, just like Liz isn't one of us. You and Michael belong together. Just as Max and I do."

Isabel stood up, shaking her head firmly. "Just stop, okay?"

"Stop what? Isabel, you know how I feel about this. If you wanted to hear that everything we've learned is a lie, that what you are thinking about Michael was simply planted there...why didn't you call Alex?"

"Tess..."

"What? We both know I'm right. And to say what Michael and Maria have is real," she paused, "well that's just crazy. Just like you and Alex isn't real, even though you wanted it to be."

"Let's say, hypothetically, that I agree there...are you going to say that Max and Liz aren't real either?"

"It doesn't matter. Max and I are destined to be together."

"But he loves Liz."

"For now, but he's my destiny." Tess shook her head. "Isabel, can you honestly say that part of the reason you ended up with Alex wasn't that you were jealous of Max and Liz and Michael and Maria? And that you were freaked out about the dreams?"

"Couldn't that be considered a bit shallow?"

"No. It could be considered normal. You saw your brother fall in love, you saw your best friend find someone...and that left you out. And Alex stroked your ego...no one is blaming you."

"Fine, maybe that was part of it, but how does that mean I'm secretly pining for Michael?"

"Because you are."

"Tess you frustrate me." Isabel sighed and then walked to the kitchen, grabbing a soda. She could hear Tess follow her.

"If I frustrate you, it means I'm telling you what you know is true. What's holding you back from admitting it?"

"If you're so smart, shouldn't you already know?"

"Well either you feel guilty because you like him but you have Alex, or you're scared because you like him but he may reject you for Maria, or you don't like him."

"Can we just not talk about this?"

Tess smiled. "That's fine. I'll just assume it's the first two."

"Assume what you want, I can't stop you."

"You could always dream-walk him tonight and see if you can get an idea of how he's feeling."

Isabel sighed, walking back to the living room and flopping down onto the couch. "I've never walked him before, it kind of seems wrong to. Like a violation of their privacy."

"If you want to look at it that way, it's a violation of anyone's privacy."

"But it would be almost as if I was violating his trust, by going uninvited into his head instead of asking about whatever it is I'm trying to find out."

"If you asked Michael about this flat out, would he tell you?" Tess asked, and when Isabel gave a reluctant nod she smiled. "So it isn't as if you're doing it to find out a secret, it's simply preempting possible conflict."

"You're a bad influence, Tess Harding."

"Only because you can't argue my logic."

"He thinks I'm not bringing any of this up because I feel like talking about it would be a betrayal of Max."

"Well do you?"

"I don't know, I guess it's just...well, he thinks this whole destiny thing is a load of bull. So to discuss it as a possibility is going against that."

"To not would be a betrayal of yourself." Tess paused, raising her eyes to Isabel's. "And to your mother." She knew immediately that she had the other girl convinced.

Isabel sighed looking away. "Yeah..."

"Max can try and deny this all he wants, but denial won't just make it go away."

"Before you showed up in Roswell, I used to believe that our race of aliens must be tall."

Tess noticed the complete change of subject but chose to let it go. She'd convinced Isabel and in pushing it she would risk making her change mind again. "Yeah I can see how I proved that theory wrong." She laughed softly.

"Granted I also thought I was the only female of my kind. Again with you proving me wrong."

"Apparently it's a trend."

"Apparently." Isabel glanced at the clock.

Following her gaze, Tess noticed the time. "He could be asleep. I'll go and leave you alone. "

"I'd invite you to stay but if Max were to show up things could get tense."

"No need to explain, I understand." Tess smiled and headed towards the door.

"Come over tomorrow. Michael's coming too."

Tess nodded. "Got it. I'll be here."

Isabel lay on her bed, holding a picture Max had taken of her with Michael only a few weeks earlier. It was of the two of them sitting in a booth at the Crashdown, smiling and laughing over a plate of fries. She remembered that day. It had been right before the whole pregnancy scare. As she studied it she couldn't help but recall the comment Tess had made about the obvious feelings between herself and Michael even before the dreams. The way there were looking at each other, the playful way he was pushing her...maybe Tess was right. Isabel's mind returned to the task at hand. She was about to jump into Michael's dream. Her finger traced the soft curve of his face as she concentrated on making the connection. Her head dropped to the side and then she was in.

All she saw at first was a barely lit room but slowly, almost like stage lights, the room brightened a bit to reveal a bed...a bed on which Michael lay, clad in red silk boxers. Isabel's stomach lurched, because she knew, without a doubt, she was going to learn who Michael desired. She watched a smile overtake his face as he sat up a little, staring at something across the room. Slowly, she followed his gaze, scared of who she would see. Her eyes fell upon her own figure, which appeared in a tiny black robe...and with hands untying the sash of said robe. As it fell to the ground, Isabel felt a blush rise in her cheeks. The woman, no she, stood before Michael in a black lace corset and thong. Unable to stop herself she let out a gasp of surprise. Normally the dreamer was completely unaware of her presence but she felt dream-Michael's eyes on her as she snapped awake. He'd seen her. The shock of it was so overwhelming; she didn't even stop to consider what she saw. Her head fell back onto her pillow as she forced her breathing to slow. Finally she could feel her heat stop pounding, her muscles releasing their tension, and began to breathe normally.

Right as she was calm again and sitting up to begin to consider the dream, her bedroom window was thrown open and Michael climbed through. "Jesus Michael, scare the shit out of me why don't you." Isabel said, her voice shaking slightly.

"Just getting even." Michael replied with a shrug.

"Even?" She remarked, her tone full of feigned innocence.

Michael just shook his head, walking towards her and picking up the picture. "Do you have any clue how much you freaked me out with this? Why'd you do it, Isabel? Why couldn't you have just asked me?"

"Michael, I'm sorry."

"I don't want an apology, Isabel. I just want you to tell me why."

"I just...I was confused, and I didn't want to open my mouth only to ruin our friendship when you told me you didn't see me as anymore than a sister. So then Tess suggested I simply take an innocent peak to see if I could get a hint about how you felt, so that if you didn't feel anything no lines would be crossed." She paused, gathering the courage to look up at him. "Michael, I'm sorry."

He stood, simply staring at her fora moment. Finally he moved to sit beside her on the bed. "Well did you get your answer?" He demanded.

Isabel was flooded with shame, as she gathered the nerve to look at him. "Michael, I never meant to-"

Her sentence was abruptly cut-off when his lips pressed to hers. His eagerness was apparent in the urgency his kisses possessed. She felt him adjust and then slowly put pressure upon her to lay back on the bed. "Izzy..." He murmured, before his lips overtook hers, igniting a sensation which somehow managed to be both brand new but familiar at the same time.

Isabel did not speak until his kisses had trailed to her neck. "Oh God, Michael..."

He lifted her up slightly, with gentle pressure on her back and then removed her shirt. He paused then, His need to taste and feel her momentarily overruled by his desire to simply look at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, a bit surprised he'd managed to get any words out.

"Yeah..." Isabel's voice came out as a thick whisper and she swallowed hard.

"Oh my God!"

The exclamation swung the heads of both teenagers to the door. Isabel gasped. "Max!"

Max sat on the edge of his bed, head swimming. After Liz had taken off he had needed time to himself so he had taken a long walk. The plan for after the walk was to come home and talk about everything with his sister. Isabel knew how to calm him down, how to help put things in perspective. He should have knocked, but the thought never even crossed his mind. They never knocked, not even when the door was locked, which it hadn't been. As far back as Max could remember, there had never been a door between himself and Isabel that was actually intended to keep him out. Normally a closed or locked door meant Isabel was using her powers to change the color of her nail polish and didn't want to chance being caught by their parents. He should have thought to knock but the idea of walking in on his sister and Michael doing things he had never pictured his sister doing with _anyone,_ least of all his best friend. But there they had been, on her bed, doing what could only be called "making out"...and to top it all off, her shirt had seemed to have gone missing. Michael and Isabel...Max turned the thought over in his mind. But that was their destiny, right; what their dreams had indicated and their mother had confirmed? Michael, Isabel, Tess. All accepted the roles they were given. Why couldn't he? But he knew. One thing kept him from it: Liz.

She had left so he wouldn't reject his given destiny for her. So he would be with Tess as his fate decreed. Had Max never met Liz then he probably could have been with Tess. But he had met Liz and nothing, not Tess, not his destiny, not her leaving, could _ever _change how he felt about her. Yes, Liz had left, but her life was in Roswell. She would be back and once more they would be together. It made him smile a little. He did believe in destiny, but his was Liz Parker.

He heard the door open and then close as Isabel entered; something he'd been expecting since he'd left her room. "I see you've found your shirt."

"Max...I know what you're thinking." Isabel said softly, sitting down beside him on the bed.

"Then tell me, because I'm not sure I know what to think." He sighed. "Isabel, I know you feel as if you have to be with Michael, but-"

"No Max, I don't have to. I want to."

"You never wanted this until you had those dreams, until you heard the prophecy."

"Until then I thought he was our brother!"

"Isabel, I just don't understand how you and Michael can just suddenly have these feelings."

Isabel closed her eyes. "Max...what Michael and I feel or do...it doesn't affect your feelings for Liz."

"What about Michael and Maria? He said he loved her."

"They've never had what you and Liz do." She shook her head. "Look Max, it's been two days since we found out and all any of us have done is keep to ourselves. Liz went to New York but I can't believe it's forever. She just wants you to have time to think. But you're not the only one who's been thinking. I didn't just go 'Oh, Michael's my destiny? Great, I have to make-out with him right now.' I did a _lot _of thinking and I decided that if it seemed Michael wanted to try it then I would go for it. And he did, so we did...well until you came in. Now he went home."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was probably for the best. But he's coming over tomorrow morning so we can all talk."

"All meaning you, me, and Michael?"

"Yeah." Isabel forced a bright smile. "OhandTesstoo." She muttered quickly.

"You invited Tess here?! Why?"

"Because. She's one of us Max. Without her we'd still be pretty damned clueless about who we are. Her destiny with you isn't her fault, and with what was said, I can't really blame her for clinging to it. You learned that you're our leader, a King Max. Michael is your trusted second-in-command. I'm your sister, his wife, and a princess. But all Tess is, her whole reason she was sent here, was because she was your bride. She was sent here for you to love. It must be very had for her to have to accept that you don't that because we didn't wait for her when we all emerged from our pods we didn't know her and you fell for someone else."

Max silently considered this. It was true; they had left Tess in her pod. It was that that indirectly led to him being where he was now. "I guess you're right."

"Our destiny seems to have been predicted with consideration to only one factor: nature. These predictions completely ignore the concept of nurture. What if you had learned that I wasn't your sister and that it was me with whom your destiny laid? Would you be this upset?" Isabel could tell that Max was thinking about what she'd said, even without him verbally responding. After a short pause she decided to continue. "We've always referred to Michael as our brother, but it was always meant in the figurative sense. But if he'd grown up in the same house as us, been raised as our actual brother, well no dreams and/or prophecies would have convinced me to kiss him. Do you get what I'm trying to say?"

"Surprisingly, yes. I think I do." Max said with a nod.

"For a Princess, I'm not very eloquent, now am I?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Either way though, I couldn't ask for a better sister."

Despite her efforts to suppress it, a look of love and pride flushed Isabel's face. "Yeah, you're probably right." she laughed, standing and moving towards the door. "Just remember...you aren't alone."

Max watched his sister leave his room and then crawled into bed. It would never cease to amaze him just how insightful Izzy could be when she chose to be when didn't stop to second guess herself. She was strong, intelligent, and beautiful but yet, so insecure. He supposed that he and Michael probably had something to do with that. He closed his eyes and began to imagine Liz. She had to come back to him. Liz Parker was his world and it was she that made him truly human.

There were two things Liz Parker noticed immediately upon arriving in New York City: It was loud and it was crowded. Liz's Aunt June, her father's younger sister, had invited her to come visit over summer break. She had been undecided but the events in the pod chamber had quickly made up her mind and she'd flown out the next afternoon. Max had looked so hurt, hadn't wanted to let her go, but he did because as much as it hurt, it was what had to be done. It wasn't goodbye forever, just as long as she felt was needed for everyone to absorb what they'd learned. She loved Max, but this wasn't a question about whether or not she and Max were in love. This was his destiny, the future of his people that was on the line here so if for all of it to work meant that Max had to be with Tess then that's what had to happen. Had Liz stayed in Roswell, Max wouldn't have viewed the situation objectively. It was hard to walk away, harder than anything she'd ever had to do.

The roads in Manhattan bore signs communicating the law passed by Rudy Giuliani disallowing the usage of car horns but apparently most people ignored them. The noises, combined with the thoughts which constantly plagued her mind, made sleep basically impossible. She needed her sleep too, because the next day she was going with June to the Majestic theatre, where she worked as a make-up artist. It would be fun, but only if she let if be. Her aunt had been great, understanding how upset she was and respecting the fact that she didn't want to talk about it. Being here was exactly what she needed; something completely separate from Roswell, New Mexico and the life she'd lived there...a life that was gone now.

She believed that everything would work out for the best; she just wished she knew what that entailed. Liz rolled over, forcing her eyes closed. She had to sleep but the more she tried the harder it got. Finally she turned to a tried and true method: the recitation of the periodic table of elements. Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium...by Molybdenum she was fast asleep, but the rest was far from peaceful.


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: Okay so good reviews make me happy and make me want to write lots and lots. Thank you so much! This is a new style of fic for me, normally I write things with a lot more dialogue so the first chapter and the amount of introspection of each character was new to me. I know I was slow putting out the new chapter but worry not, I'll be better from now on!

Tess stared at herself in the mirror, carefully dabbing another layer of strawberry lip-gloss onto her gently puckered mouth. She had to look perfect when she saw Max today. Sure she could have used her powers to darken and lighten the color at will, but it never managed to get that sweet taste the lip-gloss itself provided. Everything about her had to be perfect, so undeniably perfect that Max had no choice but to fall in love with her. Turning sideways, she admired her figure. Her red tank top clung to her curves and the black pants she'd selected served to make her petite form even tinier. As she smiled at herself again, she was disturbed by a loud pounding at the door of the bathroom. "Hey, uh, Tess? I know you're a girl but you've been in there a long time." Kyle Valenti's voice drawled through the door.

"I'm sorry." Tess opened the door, an apologetic smile dancing across her lips. With Nasedo gone Tess was alone, so the Sheriff had opened his home to her.

The smile diminished any anger Kyle could have felt. "Don't worry about it." He said with a smile of his own. "You look nice, you going somewhere?"

"Yes."

Kyle waited for a further explanation but none came. Tess was odd, there was no doubt about that; but then, she was an alien. Alien. Kyle rolled the idea around in his mind. Max, Michael, Isabel, Tess. Aliens. Aliens that he and his father were supposed to help protect. "So where are you going?"

"Over to Max and Isabel's." She replied simply.

"I was just going to take a quick shower and then go grab a bite over at the Crashdown. You could join me if you wanted to." He offered.

"No thank you." Tess flashed another smile and then grabbed her purse, heading out the door.

"Okay then..."

* * *

Michael walked towards the Evans' house, anxiety raging inside him. On one hand, he was looking forward to the meeting, to figuring out what they wanted to do now that they had learned of their mission, to eventually free their home planet. This excitement was tainted by the nervousness over the impending conversation about the new relationship he and Isabel had formed. He'd done a lot of thinking between last night and the night they'd found out their destiny, a lot of thinking. He loved Maria, he did, but when he started having the dreams and thought Isabel was pregnant, it changed things, it changed _him_. True, he hadn't thought of Isabel in a romantic context before then, but once he started to, it just all made sense. With Maria things were hard, and the bottom line was, she wasn't like him. She was human, he wasn't. Everything he did would indirectly hurt her. Isabel understood him, didn't try and change him into something he wasn't, and that was what a relationship should be. Of course, none of this even mattered if she told him today that the night before was a mistake. He didn't think she regretted it, but after being caught by Max she had gone to talk to him and it was quite possible that he'd changed her mind. Max was good at that, especially when Isabel was involved. She didn't have enough confidence in herself to dispute her brother, despite the strong exterior she presented. He would just wait and see; there was really nothing else to do about it. 

When he got the Evans' he had to pause briefly. It used to be that he always went through a window, unless he actually came in with Isabel and/or Max. He furrowed his brow in thought, a bit unsure of how to act in this situation. Finally, with a shrug, he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. When Max opened the door, Michael noticed he wasn't met with the normal smile of welcome, instead there was a strangeness to his best friend, which either meant something was going on that wasn't good…or that Max was going to kill him over this Isabel thing. He didn't really know which would be least painful for him. "Hey Maxwell." He said, his own face adorning a lopsided grin.

"Iz's still getting ready. You can stay out here." Max replied simply, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge, grabbing a cherry cola. He shut the fridge, not offering anything to Michael.

Michael stared at his friend for a moment, but this time decided that starting a fight wouldn't help anyone at the moment, so he simply grabbed his own soda. "Tess here yet?"

"Do you see her here?" Max's tone sounded as if he were talking to a bug or some equally as low creature. It wasn't lost on Michael.

"So tell me what it is you're mad about, because honestly, I can't quite figure it out. If this-" He was cut off by the sound of the doorbell. "You should answer that." He said with a shake of his head, walking to the living room and plopping down on the couch. This was all just too much.

* * *

Kyle walked into The Crashdown, dropping himself into a booth seat. His head flopped down on the table. What was so hard about being open with him? Why, when he finally knew everything, did they treat him like he was the enemy? He wasn't the enemy, not now that he understood, but honestly, who could blame him for his actions? Was he supposed to just sit there and let Max Evans steal Liz away? And his father, with all that stuff about not trusting Max…what else could he have thought? He'd done what he had to, he knew that and now…well Max had saved his life, he couldn't hate the guy anymore. He just wanted to be trusted, to be part of the group, because it was hard to consider going back to how life used to be with what he now knew.

"This is about the Czechs isn't it?" Maria DeLuca said, plopping a cup of coffee in front of Kyle as she sat down across from him.

"The what?" Kyle put his head up, a confused look written on his face.

"She means the aliens." Added Alex Whitman as he sat down, shoving Maria over into the booth. It was early, so the Crashdown was still pretty empty at the moment. "She and Liz made up the code name, which should explain everything."

"Ah." Kyle nodded, taking the coffee and sipping it. "Thanks Maria."

Maria laughed a little. "Not a problem. So is it? About them, I mean?"

"Yeah. Tess rushed off to some all important meeting…you'd think they'd invite us, I mean maybe we aren't aliens but we're involved in this just as much as they are."

"A secret meeting?" Maria raised her eyebrow. "Without us? Well isn't that just great."

"Maybe we only ever got invited because Max wanted Liz there…" Alex mused. "Not that you're not great, Maria."

"No, I know what you mean…but you know what? I'm going anyway. They can't just blow us off. He can't just blow me off. It's not right." Maria stood up, walking over to the other waitress. "I'm going on break." She said, pulling off her antennae headband and tossing it on the counter.

Alex watched her with a sigh, standing up himself as he had had to when Maria decided to charge out of the booth. "Maria, we can't just go storming into the meeting and-"

"Fine, don't, but I am."

Kyle looked at both of them. "I'm with her." He said with a shrug. "We can take my Mustang." Truth be told he wasn't very excited about riding around in Maria's mother's car, it was…old.

"Okay, I'll come to, but it's a bad idea, just so you know." Alex warned.

"Yeah we get it." Maria stated with a sharp tone. "Now come on, they've probably already discussed important information that we've missed because Alex is stubborn."

"Oh so now it's my fault?" Alex shook his head, laughing a little as he followed them outside to Kyle's convertible. It was a nice car, and one Alex had always wanted to ride in, but, well, he didn't think Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess would be too happy about them just showing up. Kyle and Maria seemed determined, however, so he'd humor them. Better for him to be there to mediate then for those two to barge in on their own.

* * *

Silence…four teenagers and they were sitting in silence. Isabel shook her head, casting a glance at Michael who was on the opposite end of the couch from her. Max had made a point of making her sit away from him, but tried to act as if he weren't. Whatever, he could deny things if he wanted, it didn't make them not true. She noticed as well that he wouldn't look at any of them, especially not Tess. It wasn't that she blamed him for being upset about Liz taking off, but it wasn't right to take it out on them, his family. She glanced at Michael, knowing she could always count on him to break the silence and was surprised to find him staring at her. She blushed, smiling gently at him, and as if he'd read her mind he spoke up. "So, is this about Liz, Nasedo, or Iz and I? Because apparently we haven't figured out your little guessing game."

"Stop it, Michael." Max replied. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what, Maxwell? Like you're being completely cold to us for no reason? We know who we are, we know our purpose, aren't you happy?" Michael shook his head and stared straight into his friend's eyes. "Or are you too selfish to be happy for everyone just because you're facing a little inconvenience."

"You know what Michael? Just because you have no concept of what love is and wouldn't give a damn if Maria had left doesn't mean-"

"ENOUGH!" Isabel yelled. "Can't you two just stop it and act like adults? I mean honestly. Look, Max, fact of the matter is, Michael is right. We get out of that cave, you say you're going for a walk and basically disappear on us for two days. That's not right, and you know it. Yes, so Liz went to New York, there's nothing you can do about that right now. Right now, you need to be with us, with Michael, Tess and me." She felt Michael move closer and take her hand. "Why can't you just let us breath a bit? We're safe, which is something we haven't been in awhile and maybe we just need you to tell us that it's okay!"

Max narrowed his eyes, looking at her. "Don't you have Michael for that now?"

"I feel like this is all my fault." Tess said softly. "But I didn't mean to come here and ruin everyone's life…I wanted to help you when I found out who you were. And honestly, I thought I was. I knew more than you all did and I wanted to share that…instead I just complicated your lives further."

"You know it's sad when I'm about to be the rational voice here, but I think we all need to just calm down here, myself included." Michael pointed out as Isabel moved into his arms, curling against him. "We all learned a lot, we had our time to think and now we need to discuss where to go from here. We have a mission; we are supposed to somehow liberate our people. Sadly, we don't know how to do that."

Finally Max gave a bit of a smile. "You're right, that is a bit sad. But maybe that's why you were my second in command, huh? Not afraid to question me when you think I'm wrong, and not afraid to step up when I'm being a jerk."

"Hey, just fulfilling my destiny." Michael shrugged.

"Yeah. I can tell." Max sighed. "Are you two sure about this? That it's what you want?"

Tess sat up a little more. "Can l say something?" She asked, and then continued before anyone could respond. "Max, I'm sorry about the way I pressed myself on you. You love Liz. I get that now. Isabel said something to me last night that made me think. She said that while we were programmed to look a certain way and such...love, and who we love, isn't something that can be programmed. And she's right. But just because you don't love me, doesn't mean that what Isabel and Michael feel isn't real. I trust them to be smarter than that. You should too." Tess knew she had Max with that last comment, she could see the change on his face. She'd been telling the truth in what she'd said about herself and her revelations as well. She believed Max loved Liz and she'd back off. That didn't mean she was giving up, she knew she and Max were meant to be but she also knew that the more she pushed herself on him, the harder he'd push back. She would wait, that was all she could do.

"She's right, Max." Isabel said softly.

"I know." Max nodded. "It's just going to take time to get used to."

Michael nodded, gently kissing Isabel's temple. "And that's fine." He replied as the doorbell rang. The sound caused all four to freeze.

Suddenly Max launched to his feet, one thought entering his mind: _Liz._ He yanked the door open, unable to hide his disappointment that instead of Liz he stood face-to-face with Alex, Maria, and Kyle. "What are you doing here?" He asked, not meaning to sound rude, but honestly confused at their arrival.

"What are _they_ doing?" Alex asked, his eyes widening at Michael, who appeared to be kissing Isabel's shoulder.

Maria stared. "Oh...my God."

"It's huge." Liz gaped. All tiredness she felt left her when she entered the Majestic. Sleep had not come easily the night before and when it had it had been fitful. All she could think about was Max.

"Pretty impressive isn't it?" Came a strong male voice. "I've been working here for almost a year now and I still have to catch my breath."

June looked over at the sound of the voice. "You're here early today, Bryce." She noted with a smile. "This is my niece, Liz. Liz, this is Bryce Matheson, he's my apprentice."

"It's nice to meet you." Liz said, offering her hand. She smiled at the boy, even though she didn't really feel like smiling. Manners were important; she wouldn't embarrass her aunt by being rude.

Bryce took her hand. "You too. Are you enjoying the city so far?"

"It's...different." Liz admitted. "Very big. So if it's not rude to ask…most guys aren't into makeup."

He laughed, showing he wasn't the least bit offended. "I get that question a lot, and actually you're wrong. Some of the most successful makeup artists in the world are male. It came from having a lot of foster sisters...five to be exact."

"That's a lot…you're adopted?"

"Yeah, it's kind of cool in a way, because when I went through the stage of thinking my parents were freak aliens who didn't understand teenagers I could remind myself that I didn't inherit their weirdness."

Liz flinched a bit at the usage of the word alien. She'd never noticed before how common of a word it was and how many different meanings it had. It was common vernacular really, and only to her small group did it really have an entirely different meaning. It wouldn't do to start thinking about that though…wouldn't do at all. "Yeah, there have been times when I've wanted to disavow all relation to my parents."

"But your Aunt is so cool. Surely your parents can't be that bad."

"My parents are actually really great." The words made Liz feel guilty. Her parents _were _really great and she'd left them suddenly, leaving them hurt, and the Crashdown short-handed. All to help Max. Her pain must have been evident on her face without her realizing it, because Bryce asked her if she was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just wondering how a small-town girl like me could hope to survive here."

June, who had been walking in and out to get things in order, chose to speak up at this point. "You forget that I, too, was born and raised in your small town. You also forget that you're one of the smartest and strongest people I've ever known."

Strong and smart enough to walk away from her soulmate...but she couldn't let herself think about that. Liz smiled at her Aunt. "Well I always did say l wanted to get out of there and expand my horizons."

"I'm sure you'll love it soon enough." Bryce smiled. "Get ready. The actors will be here soon. "

Recovering from his own shock, Kyle instinctively put his arm out to hold Maria back. "What is wrong with you people? Or is that the problem? That you aren't people at all?"

"Kyle. Don't-" Max began, but found himself cut-off.

"Don't what, Evans? Don't tell it how it is? Don't call you out on the fact that all four of you are selfish and cruel? That you barge in on everyone with no care at all what you're doing to their lives? That you-" But this time it was Max's turn to interrupt.

"I saved your life."

"You're one who endangered it in the first place."

"Everyone just stop!" Isabel snapped. "Just...sit down and we can all have a mature conversation."

"That sounds great." Maria said with a smirk as she plopped down on Michael's other side. "I'll start. If you two wanted to be together all you had to do is be honest."

Isabel opened her mouth to answer but was silenced when Michael gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "This just happened. _After_ you and l broke up." He said slowly. "I'm sorry if it hurts you. I had planned on telling you myself, in private. Which brings me to _my_ question. Why are you three here?"

"We felt that if the four of you were making plans, we had a right to be involved in that process." Alex spoke diplomatically but his face made it clear that Maria wasn't the only one upset by the new developments between Isabel and Michael.

"And what plans do you think we're making?" Michael asked, leaning back against the couch. This was really all just too much. _They _were the selfish ones? Right, and who was it who was intruding on peoples privacy.

"More than likely it's something that will get the three of us in trouble and maybe even a free ticket to heaven." Kyle quipped.

Max sighed, rubbing his temples. "Well, you're wrong. The only thing we're plotting is how we're going to accept the message our mother sent and how to deal with our destinies."

"Seems like Michael and Isabel have already figured that last part out." Maria snorted.

"The whole bitterness thing really isn't appealing on you, Maria." Isabel shot back. The human girl had a right to be upset, but at the moment it was just plain annoying.

Michael knew this was going to happen, which is why he'd wanted to talk to Maria in private about it. "Alright, you two hate each other again. We get it. Now stop." He shook his head. "Unlike Max here, I refuse to give in to all the diplomatic bullshit. If the four of us want to get together and talk, that's our prerogative. Yes, you have all helped us when we've needed it and we do appreciate that greatly. But that doesn't mean you understand what it's like to be us. Only we understand that. And sometimes the four of us getting together isn't so we can "plot" but simply so we can cope."

"More like copulate." Kyle snorted. "Sorry. Joke."

"Such an amusing one too." Isabel noted, rolling her eyes. "Forget this. I'm done with all the bullcrap fighting." Isabel stated, standing up. "I'm outta here. Coming Tess?" She cocked an eyebrow at the other girl. It wasn't that she was being immature so much as she was trying to avoid adding to the conflict. Maria had a right to be upset, Isabel knew that, but if she wasn't being so damn nosey the problem could have been resolved much more easily.

Tess glanced first at Max, then back at Isabel. "Yeah, let's go." The blonde agreed.

"Yes watch as the two aliens who can't stay away from what's not theirs run away so they don't have to take responsibility." Maria snapped. God what was it with them? It wasn't enough to put everyone's lives in danger, no they had to horn in on their men to. She wouldn't put it past Tess to fake the image of Max and Isabel's mother just to get what she wanted. As if their alien enhanced model looks weren't enough.

Isabel just sighed. "Whatever." And she and Tess headed out the door.

"Now, a lot of the chorus and such will put on their own make-up and then come here to get it touched up." Bryce continued. He kept watching Liz's face, worried he was boring her, but her attention seemed mostly on him. She was still distracted but not as much as before. "Because of how this show opens, much of the cast has to be done at the same time so the leads generally go first."

"I think I should get first." A rather sarcastic sounding voice commented. "When'd you get an assistant? Cait Foster." The tall red-headed figure noted to Liz, holding out her hand. "Or, around here, Meg Giry understudy, ensemble." She laughed.

"Liz Parker. I'm June's niece." She answered with a smile. At least people seemed friendly and it _was _a good distraction. She was hardly thinking about Max at all…well, at least not constantly.

"Cool." Cait nodded and then sat down, letting Bryce begin to put her make-up on. "So, I talked to Millie and she said everything is set-up for the trip. I've cleared my time off, so have you, and so has she, but Connor's still working on it." Cait explained quickly before closing her mouth so Bryce could apply her lipstick. As soon as he was finished she continued. "But he said since they're hiring for the summer now it should be okay. He still has a month to work on it though."

"Where are you guys going?" Liz asked in an attempt to be friendly. It wasn't like she could add much to the conversation as she didn't know anyone they were talking about but questions were good.

Cait looked like she was about to answer but Bryce stepped in. "Nowhere interesting. You'd just laugh." He said, his face showing his embarrassment.

"Try me."

This time Cait jumped right in. "Roswell, New Mexico."

"It's probably just some hole in the wall tourist trap." Bryce piped up. "But you know."

Liz couldn't hold back her laughter. "Excuse me but my family and friends make our livings with that tourist trap."

"Wait, do you mean you're actually _from _Roswell?" Cait smiled at her. "Cool, ever seen an alien?"

Bryce shot her a sharp look. "Play nice."

"I was born and raised there. My family owns an alien themed restaurant, The Crashdown. I'm a waitress there."

"Well how 'bout that? Looks like we've found ourselves a tour guide." Cait gave Liz an earnest smile. "I'm actually really nice, I promise." She noted, hopping out of the chair. "Invite her to Connor's after the show. It'll be fun. Bye."

Liz watched her go. "She reminds me of my best friend Maria in a way."

"We've been friends for a long time." Bryce noted. "So, you want to hang out tonight? Caitlyn doesn't invite just anyone over to chill so you should feel special."

"Yeah…I think that'd be a lot of fun." Liz smiled, an actual genuine smile. She could still have fun, if she let herself.

"Can I borrow your room, Max?" Michael asked after Isabel and Tess made their retreat. When his friend nodded he looked to Maria. "Can we please go talk?"

Maria glared sharply at him. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Fine, then I'll talk and you can listen, alright?" Michael sighed. Here he was, trying to do the right thing and all she could do was make it harder. "This is the only time I'm going to offer to explain." Maria fixed him with a cold stare but then headed past him to Max's room. "Right then, we'll be right back." With a sigh he headed towards the room to where Maria was waiting. Her posture could only be described as threatening. Perched on the edge of Max's bed, both her arms and legs were crossed, and a very pissed off glare decorated her face. Taking a deep breath as he closed the door he finally opened his mouth to speak.


	3. Chapter Three

"I feel bad." Isabel stated after a moment. She and Tess had taken off but they hadn't actually gone far. There was nowhere to go that didn't have the chance of them running into people they didn't want to see. They'd settled on just parking a few miles away and enjoying something from Starbucks. "I hate guilt."

Tess had a simple solution to all of this. Forget about the humans and these silly ties they were all hung up on to humans and focus on doing what they had to do. Of course she was the bitch for saying that any of the times she did and so she kept her thoughts to herself this time. "Well, why exactly are you guilty?"

It was a valid question really and one Isabel didn't want to answer. The truth was, she didn't feel guilty about hurting Alex. Sure, he was sweet and kind but somewhere inside of themselves they knew it wasn't the forever type of thing that Liz and Max had. What Isabel Evans felt guilty about was that she didn't feel badly about it. She felt that she and Michael weren't doing anything wrong and couldn't care less if this forced the humans out of their group. It was that coldness that made her feel guilty. She wasn't Max. She hadn't ever felt truly connected to their group aside from Max and Michael themselves. The only people aside from those two that she cared about were her parents. Her parents were a completely different sort of human from Maria and Alex. Liz though...

Liz was not Isabel's favorite person on a surface level. She felt the girl didn't try hard enough to show off her girl next-door looks, that she spent too much time studying and writing in her journal instead of being normal. Perhaps it was ironic that she faulted Liz for not being normal when Isabel herself wasn't human. Really, under it all, it was Liz's normalcy that Isabel truly faulted her for. She was jealous that Liz had two parents that were really her own and a job with the family business and quirky side kicks and that she was choosing to involve herself in something she didn't have to. Isabel would have given anything to be a normal girl and Liz was just throwing it all away. Even with all of that said, one thing Isabel did know about Liz was that she made her brother happy. Max truly loved Liz and, more than that, he needed her. That was enough to make Isabel accept the girl into their midst but now she'd left. It made life easier in some ways but mopey Max was not fun to deal with in the least. She could pretend that was because he was broody and even more sullen than normal but the truth was, when her brother hurt she hurt. They were close and his pain was very real to her.

Taking a cue from Isabel's silence Tess realized this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere. "Let's go to Michael's apartment." She suggested after a moment. "It's really the only option we have." Without a word, Isabel turned the jeep in that direction

"You know, technically I broke up with you." It probably wasn't the best way for Michael to start but he wasn't good at this sort of thing. He legitimately felt bad about this entire thing but being with Maria took so much work and being with Isabel just felt right. Right and easy.

The glare Maria gave him was of the sort that would literally kill a man if looks really could kill. "That's it? That's your big explanation, Michael? Well guess what? It's not good enough. You broke up with me to protect me. You broke up with me because you said you were in love with me. How does that just change? You learn you're supposed to be with Isabel and suddenly-"

"It wasn't suddenly!" Michael snapped. "Don't you get that? You, Alex...you were our attempts to avoid it. That awkward day outside the eraser room? We knew our destiny then, we were trying to avoid it because it was too weird to accept. Yes, I told you I love you and...and I do, alright? I do. In my own screwed up way I do. You're part of my family now but our relationship wasn't healthy and we both know that. You wanted to find the Max to your Liz and that's just not me. That will never be me. But he is out there."

This time it was Maria's turn to cut in. "Don't. You don't have the right to say those things. Don't sit here and tell me why this is better for me and how there are other fish in the sea. I knew I was too good for you. I've always known I was too good for you. I didn't want us to be Max and Liz, I wanted us to be Michael and Maria but even that was too complicated for your screwed up head to figure out. I'm better off without you but not because you say so. Because I say so." She spun on her heel, done listening to him talk. She had to get out of that room before she either cried or slapped him. Both ideas were threateningly close to occurring at that moment and she did know in theory that neither was a good idea. Since when did Maria choose logic over what seemed right at the moment, though? She couldn't count on herself to do the right thing much longer.

"Maria, wait." She paused, knowing what was going to come, that this was the part where he would tell her he was sorry and that he did love her. "I know you're upset but...you can't tell anyone about us. No matter how mad you are." With that, the right thing flew out the window. She turned, tears in her eyes, and slapped Michael Guerin hard across the face before storming out.

Liz had never watched a Broadway show before, and certainly not one as iconic as IThe Phantom of the Opera/I. The music, the gothic undertones, the dark twisted story of the Phantom's love for Christine...she'd sat in awe the entire time and afterwards hurried to the stage door where she'd made plans to meet up with Caitlyn and Bryce. She had to wait at the back of the crowd waiting for pictures and autographs from the entire cast but finally she spotted a flash of red hair. She found her natural shyness kicking in, wondering if they'd even remember talking to her before the show or inviting her to this Connor guy's house. Caitlyn made her way through the crowd, followed by Bryce's tall figure. The latter caught her eyes, shooting her a smile and a quick nod and Liz realized that she had been remembered after all. Cait took her time, signing programs and chatting with people before finally making her way through the crowd and to where Liz was. "Come on, the subway station isn't too far from here. You have a metro card right?" The redhead continued to walk and Liz had to hurry to fall into step behind her.

"Yeah, I do. Aunt June got me one earlier. We rode the subway here but I'm definitely not used to it yet. We don't really have local transportation in Roswell. There's maybe two cabs and a bus to go out of town but...people either walk, bike, or drive themselves. Of course there's probably more in a block here than there is in my whole town." Even as Liz spoke, she smiled as she fondly thought of her hometown. Her mind drifted to the Crashdown. To Maria...Alex...as Max's face began to cross her thoughts she shook her head to clear it and then hurried down the stairs that led underground.

Bryce grinned at the conversation. Most people in New York had heard it before, at least if they talked to people from out or town. "The problem with cars here is that there's no space for them. Sure, you see a lot on the road but the bottom line is that to rent a place to park your car can cost hundreds of dollars a month."

"To park a car?" Liz shook her head, laughing a bit, the idea of someone paying what people in Roswell spent on rent to park their car getting her back out of her painful reveries for good.

"Yes." Cait grinned. "To park a car. So that is why we battle the crowds and push our way onto a somewhat unsturdy device that crawls around underground with giant and heavy buildings above us." She winked, seeing a look of concern cross Liz's face. "It's perfectly safe, don't worry." She nudged Liz forward onto the train as it pulled into the station, knowing the out of towner was going to try to pause and wait for people to disembark prior to boarding and that just wouldn't do. "Sit." She urged, nodding towards the one open seat on the train. "You're not ready to stand and hang on yet. Plus, I'm not sure you're tall enough to reach the bars up here." Her teasing was friendly but it really did seem as if she was testing the girl on some level. "Don't worry. It's not much further. Just wait until you meet Connor. You'll love him. Everybody does."

"Especially Caitlyn." Bryce chuckled. "Make sure you don't look at him wrong or she'll have your tail for it."

"I have a boyfriend." Liz stated immediately but then she frowned slightly, causing the redhead to lift an eyebrow.

"Are you sure about that? Because you don't really seem to be."

Liz frowned a little bit. "We're kind of on a break. I...there was a lot of stuff going on that he needed to sort out and he has a tendency to put everyone else before himself, especially me. The only way for him to really figure out what he needed to do was for me to leave. Which is why I came here. We haven't broken up yet, but I don't know for sure if he's planning to break up with me or not..."

To say that Max was angry would be an understatement. This whole night was ridiculous. He was angry at Liz for leaving, angry at Michael and Isabel for this new relationship thing, angry at the fact that it was his job to make everyone happy and fix all of this. Maria, Alex, and Kyle were livid. Max had always found Maria to be volatile but knew she wouldn't say a word, no matter how badly Michael had messed that situation up. Alex would be too scared that people wouldn't believe him to ever say a word, especially since sometimes Max felt Alex didn't even really believe it himself. But Kyle...sure Max had saved his life but as Kyle had stated, they had been the ones to endanger him in the first place. In addition, Max and the group were taking away the little time Sheriff Valenti had for his son. Kyle was the weak link at the moment and Max wasn't sure he had the energy to even worry about how to fix that.

After Maria had left, Michael had stayed in the room. He'd been in there awhile and Max figured he should probably go talk to him. Instead though, he sat down on the couch and did nothing. Eventually Michael did emerge, taking one look at Max and shaking his head. "Look, no one is asking you to break up with Liz. No one but Tess...and maybe Liz. But there is one part of your destiny that you simply can't ignore. You ARE our leader, Max. No offense, but get your head out of your ass and start leading. Liz is gone but she'll be back. She left so that you'd be able to look at things with a clear head so start doing that. You miss her, we get that. Now let's go, King Max." Michael headed outside and Max reluctantly stood and followed.

"Don't ever call me King Max again." He didn't feel like a King, didn't want to be one. His hand went to his pocket for his keys and then frowned. "Isabel took the jeep."

Michael shrugged and headed to Tess's car, hand moving over the door and quickly unlocking it. "Doesn't seem like a problem to me." He noted with a roguish grin. Another quick movement of his hand over the ignition and the car easily roared to life. There wasn't the least amount of guilt over "stealing" Tess's car. She'd have encouraged exactly what they were doing right then. Usage of powers, to Tess, was a good thing. Even so, he could feel the glare given to him by Max as he did it. "What?"

Max shook his head, "Nothing. Where are we going?"

"My place."

Maria sat in the back of Kyle's Mustang, a vehicle filled with the awkwardness of silence. Glancing up, she saw Alex in the front seat and it was enough to make her snap. "How can you just be okay with all of this?" She finally asked.

"Because I knew it was going to happen. Isabel Evans is...so far out of my league. The only reason she even looked my way was because I already knew her secret and she didn't have to hide who she was." Alex shrugged a little. "I spent every day with her like it was the last because I knew it probably was going to be. Now it's happened and, in a way, it's a relief because I can stop dreading it."

"Wow, that's a load of pathetic." Kyle snorted. "You two really aren't even taking into account that the people you were dating aren't even human. You should be relieved, not upset." He parked the car outside of the Crashdown and then turned and looked at them both. "Besides. They can't shut us out for good. We know too much. Just give it time. Things happen for a reason. They'll come crawling back. In the meantime, I say we go for cheese fries."

Maria knew that parts of what Alex and Kyle were saying had merit. Half of her had always thought that her already knowing was the only reason Michael had been interested in her in the first place. But they really had had a connection. Even just now, in that room...he'd told her he did love her. She didn't understand any of this, couldn't understand it. She missed Liz. Hadn't her friend realized that by taking off she wasn't just leaving Max alone? She was leaving everyone alone. "Order something for me." She said after moment, interrupting whatever it was the boys were chattering about. She headed into the backroom for the phone and dialed Liz's number. It went directly to voicemail.

"So...I don't know why you're not answering but a lot is happening back home and I'd just really like to talk to you. Call me as soon as you get this message, no matter what time it is. I just...really need you right now." Even though she wanted to pour her heart out, she couldn't do that to a cold and unresponsive machine. She'd just wait for Liz to call her back.

"See, I told you they'd find us here." Tess grinned as her car pulled up, and the smile grew as she saw Michael driving. Michael and Isabel were embracing this. Michael had had enough control to start her car and that thought made her overjoyed. The happiness died down a bit as she looked at Max's sullen face as he climbed out. Even so, she pulled open the door for them. "Hope you don't mind that we broke into your apartment."

"As long as you don't mind that I hot wired your car. You could have left us the keys." Michael pointed out, immediately heading to his fridge to pull out a soda.

"Where's the fun in that?" Tess giggled, blonde curls bouncing a bit. "Isabel went to lay down a bit. Her head was hurting. In case you were wondering where she was."

"Can't you two lay off the happy family routine for a few minutes?" Max snapped, sitting down hard on the couch. "Nothing that is happening right now is normal, okay? We shouldn't be sitting here acting like it is."

"Max." Isabel's voice entered the conversation full of empathy and concern. She stood in the doorway and though her eyes went to Michael she didn't approach him. This moment was about her brother. "I know Liz being gone hurts. I know you feel betrayed by Michael and I and I know you don't want to trust Tess because you're afraid that getting close to her will be betraying Liz. And all of that makes sense. But we've got to stick together, the four of us. No matter what. Right now? I'm happy. I know where I belong and what this is all about. We have Nasedo on the inside, controlling those who wanted to hunt us down. We are safe, Max. We're safe and I got to see our mother and hear her voice and I know why we're here. Please, Max. Let's look at the positives. Let's find a way to stay this way. To stay safe and happy. Please."

Max looked into the pleading eyes of his sister, saw the way the other two of the Royal Four looked at him. What Michael had said earlier was true. He was their King, that part of his destiny could not be ignored. Walking over to Isabel he pulled his sister into a big hug. "Maybe I've forgotten what safe and happy feels like." He told her honestly. "But you'll forgive me for that right?" Isabel nodded, not pulling her head away from his shoulder. Liz had left so he could do what he needed to do. But she would come back, he was certain of that. In the meantime, despite the answers they had gotten, more questions had been opened up as well. Questions he knew they would all want answers too. As much as Isabel wanted to believe they were safe, he remembered Nasedo's warning. Using the communicators would draw attention to themselves from unwanted persons. Chances were good that something was coming, he just hoped it was something that they could handle.

"So you all met in foster care?" Liz asked the girl that had been introduced to her as Millie. So far Connor's place was entertaining. Sure, Connor had given her a weird look or two but in talking to the group it seemed they kind of stayed to themselves. Once Caitlyn had told Connor that Liz was from Roswell he seemed to understand a bit more of why she was there.

Millie pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear and nodded. "Yeah. We were all there at the same time, all about the same age so...we stuck together. At least when we could. The foster system can be a revolving door sometimes and we each had a few families before getting adopted. Bryce was the first to find a permanent home, then me, then Cait. And Connor..." She trailed off, as if unsure if she should say anything else.

"Connor was adopted last." The blonde supplied for himself. "And then my adoptive parents died a few years later. So I went back into the system. I did it with a nice inheritance that's still helping all of us out." It was obvious he was trying to act like the whole situation was nothing but Liz had been around Michael long enough to know when someone was hiding their sadness over their home life.

"That must have been hard." Liz said softly, sympathy filling her eyes.

"I'll let you in on a secret. Life is hard. People die. The rest of us just have to keep surviving. I promise you, if you learn that lesson and keep it to heart then things will make a lot more sense to you." Connor warned.

Caitlyn slid her arms around her boyfriend's waist, kissing his cheek. "Did you get time off for our trip?" She asked him. She turned to Liz with a bright smile, trying hard to fix the dark mood Connor had just cast on the room. "Connor is a lawyer working for a firm in Manhattan. That's why he's the one with the hardest time getting time off. He passed the bar last year and is working on becoming a top corporate lawyer."

He nodded. "I did. Everything is all set, I bought our tickets, you two secured us a tour guide...we're ready to go. You just need to be patient one more month."

Millie laughed a little at that. "Caitlyn? Patient? Have you met the girl? Bryce can be patient, I can be patient. You can be patient. Caitlyn will be antsy until the plane lands in New Mexico."

"If you don't mind me asking..." Liz said softly, looking at the group. "Why do you want to go to Roswell in the first place?"

"To find aliens of course." Bryce answered with a smile. "It's kind of been a group hobby for us since we were younger and we're finally ready to go and see for ourselves what all the hype is about. See where the "weather balloon" crashed. You up for helping us find some little green men?"

Liz's laugh was an uncomfortable one and, if she were looking around, she'd notice that she wasn't the only one who wasn't happy with Bryce's statement. Connor's eyes had narrowed at the other male and he pulled away from Cait to head to the kitchen. "I'll see what I can do." Liz finally forced out somewhat weakly.

"So tell us about Roswell." Cait stated, changing the subject a bit, or at least thinking she was. "Tell us more about this boyfriend guy. Is he hotter than Connor?"

Liz chuckled, not about to walk into that one, but then her face turned a bit sad as Max's face appeared in her mind. "In my opinion he's the hottest guy in the Universe. His name is Max."

"Max huh? And what's he like?"

"He's sort of the mysterious type. Tall, dark and handsome...has a lot of secrets. He's adopted too. Him and his sister Isabel. But the Evans are extremely good parents. He's just...Max. He's extremely loyal and trustworthy. He'll do anything to protect those that he loves and I'm lucky to be counted among those. He's sweet and caring and a natural leader. He let's himself stress about not making the right choices but almost always does." She shook her head, feeling tears prick the back of her eyes. "He's perfect. And if it was just him and me then things would be great. But life likes to get in the way and try to mess all of that up."

Millie smiled, despite being able to see how much Liz obviously missed her boyfriend. "You're totally in love, aren't you?" The girl asked with a grin. "You're lucky."

"Yeah...I really am." Liz admitted.


End file.
